Interactive brokers vs. FXCM
Comparison: Interactive brokers vs. FXCM – Which broker is better? A quick comparison based on the trading platform, fees, deposit or withdrawal options, and regulation in 2026.
Winner of this comparison: FXCM with an overall rating of 52%
Basic information
| Basic information |  Interactive brokers |  FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | 10 EUR/USD | 50 EUR/USD |
| Spreads | 1 EUR/USD | 1 EUR/USD |
| Established | 1978 | 1999 |
| Currency Pairs (Total Forex pairs) | 22 | 20 |
| Country | UK | Germany |
| Regulation | Authorised in the European Union (EU) | FCA (UK), Authorised in the European Union (EU), ASIC (Australia), Cysec |
| Trading app | Desktop Platform (Windows), Web Platform | Desktop Platform (Windows), Web Platform, Social Trading / Copy-Trading |
| Number of CFD asset classes | 5 | 7 |
| Broker type | ECN, STP | MM |
| Support | Phone, Mail, Chat | Phone, Mail |
| Funding methods | * Some of the payment methods may not be available in your country. Visa/Mastercard, Bank Wire | * Some of the payment methods may not be available in your country. Skrill, GiroPay, Qiwi, FasaPay, UnionPay, BitPay, Klarna, PaySafeCard, PayPal, Advcash, Cryptocurrencies, Poli, WebMoney |
| Real Stocks and ETFs | Yes | Yes |
*The value is indicative from the broker's website. The spread amount is variable.
Comparison Result
If you don’t want to read the full comparison, the winner of our review is FXCM, which takes the lead with a rating of 52%, while Interactive brokers only reaches 50%. Interactive brokers requires a minimum deposit of 10 EUR/USD, while FXCM sets it at 50 EUR/USD. Thanks to the lower deposit, Interactive brokers is more welcoming to traders with smaller budgets. For Interactive brokers, the spread is 1 EUR/USD, while for FXCM it is 1 EUR/USD. In this area, both brokers are on par. Interactive brokers offers 22 forex pairs, while FXCM provides 20. A wider selection gives Interactive brokers the advantage. Interactive brokers was founded in 1978, while FXCM has been operating since 1999. The longer tradition of Interactive brokers means greater experience. Both brokers allow trading with real stocks. Interactive brokers is overseen by 1 regulatory bodies, while FXCM has 4. Stricter oversight at FXCM gives it an advantage. Interactive brokers supports 2 platforms, while FXCM offers 3. More options are provided by FXCM.
50%
Interactive brokers
52%
FXCM
Key Strengths
Interactive brokers
- Extremely low fees
- Wide range of products
- Many great research tools
- Low margin rates
- No inactivity fee and no withdrawal fee
FXCM
- The broker is regulated in four Tier-1 jurisdictions and two Tier-2 jurisdictions.
- FXCM has received awards for the best tools and platforms, professional trading, algorithmic trading, and copy trading.
- FXCM publishes monthly execution reports, including statistics on slippage and order execution quality.
Comparison by Categories
Comprehensive Comparison: Interactive brokers vs FXCM
Interactive brokers FXCM Investments
62 % 88 %| Investments | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| Currency Pairs (Total Forex pairs) | 22 | 20 |
| CFDs – Total Offered | 100+ | 200+ |
| Options CFD | Yes | Yes |
| Share CFDs | No | No |
| Forex CFD | Yes | Yes |
| Commodities CFD | Yes | Yes |
| ETF CFD | Yes | Yes |
| Indicies CFD | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency traded as actual | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency traded as CFD | No | Yes |
Cost
80 % 20 %| Cost | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD *The value is indicative from the broker's website. The spread amount is variable. | 1 | 1 |
| Deposit from | 10 | 50 |
| Account fee | No | No |
| Inactivity fee | Yes | Yes |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| Withdrawal fees | No | Yes |
| Deposit fees | No | Yes |
Trading app
29 % 43 %| Trading app | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy-Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Currenex | No | No |
| cTrader | No | No |
Trading Tools
100 % 60 %| Trading Tools | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| Financial leverage | Yes | No |
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Alerts – Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Charting – Indicators / Studies (Total) | Yes | No |
| Charting – Drawing Tools (Total) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting – Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Stop-Loss | Yes | Yes |
| Finacial Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Daily financial news | Yes | Yes |
| Order Type – Trailing Stop | Yes | No |
Research
83 % 50 %| Research | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Weekly Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment – Currency Pairs | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Yes | No |
Education
100 % 67 %| Education | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| Has Education – Forex | Yes | No |
| Has Education – CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos – Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Education | Yes | Yes |
Forex
100 % 100 %| Forex | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes |
Commodities
100 % 36 %| Commodities | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Yes | No |
| Silver | Yes | Yes |
| WIT Oil | Yes | No |
| Brent Oil | Yes | Yes |
| Coffee | Yes | No |
| Cocoa | Yes | Yes |
| Soybeans | Yes | Yes |
| Rice | Yes | No |
| Corn | Yes | No |
| Platinum | Yes | No |
| Palladium | Yes | No |
Indicies
100 % 80 %| Indicies | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| DAX 40 | Yes | No |
| S&P 500 | Yes | Yes |
| Nasdaq | Yes | Yes |
| Dow Jones | Yes | Yes |
| Nikkei | Yes | Yes |
Cryptocurrencies
0 % 40 %| Cryptocurrencies | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | No | No |
| Litecoin | No | No |
| Ethereum | No | Yes |
| Ripple | No | No |
| Neo | No | No |
| Stellar | No | Yes |
| Cardano | No | Yes |
| Tron | No | No |
| Monero | No | Yes |
| EOS | No | No |
Regulations
17 % 67 %| Regulations | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| Cysec | No | Yes |
| ASIC (Australia) | No | Yes |
| FCA (UK) | No | Yes |
| Authorised in the European Union (EU) | Yes | Yes |
| CFTC Registered (USA) | No | No |
| FINMA (Switzerland) | No | No |
Support
100 % 67 %| Support | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|---|---|
| Chat | Yes | No |
| Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes |
Overall
50 % 52 %| Overall | Interactive brokers | FXCM |
|---|
Our Recommendations
Best for Interactive brokers
Thanks to comprehensive educational materials and a user-friendly platform, Interactive brokers is an ideal choice for new traders.
Best Platform FXCM
The trading platform of broker FXCM offers an intuitive interface and advanced features for efficient trading.
Lowest Costs Interactive brokers
offers competitive spreads and lower fees, making it ideal for active traders.
Interactive brokers FXCM